Russian pair skaters Natalia Zabiiako and Alexander Enbert took an important step forward this past season, winning their first gold medals in the ISU Grand Prix Series and their first World medal—a bronze. Looking ahead to the upcoming 2019-20 season, the duo is aiming higher and wants to establish themselves as the number one Russian team.
Both skaters feel that having more confidence and consistency was key in terms of their success.
“I can exactly say that it was very important

USA’s Tomoki Hiwatashi ended this season with a high note when he won the 2019 World Junior title in Zagreb, Croatia—three months after a disappointing result at the 2018-19 Junior Grand Prix (JGP) Final.
“I was definitely disappointed with the results,” said Hiwatashi of the Final. “I wasn’t expecting that. I expected myself to do better than that, obviously, but it also made me kind of think about how I should approach Nationals, Four Continents, and

2018 Olympic silver medalist Evgenia Medvedeva (Евгения Медведева) of Russia talks about what she has learned since last year, her music for the 2019-20 figure skating season, her tour with Stars on Ice, and more.The post Evgenia Medvedeva: ‘This year was more important than last’ appeared first on Golden Skate.

France’s Vanessa James and Morgan Cipres skated from one success to the next this past season, becoming the first French pair team to win the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final and the first French pair in 87 years to claim the European title. The duo won every competition they entered with the exception of the World Championships. James collided with Italy’s Matteo Guarise in the warm up for the short program and was obviously hurt and rattled by the accident. After mist

Russian figure skater Andrei Lazukin has been around for a while, but over this past season, he has skated out of the shadows and right into the limelight. The long-time student of Alexei Mishin got into the 2019 ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama as a substitute for Russian Champion Maxim Kovtun, who withdrew citing medical reasons (and who recently has announced his retirement from competitive skating). Lazukin finished a respectable 10th with solid performances and setting sea

The 2019 ISU World Team Trophy concluded on Saturday with the Pairs’ and Ladies’ Free Skate in Fukuoka, Japan. Team USA placed first with a total of 117 points, followed by Team Japan (104) and Team Russia (102). It was the fourth time Team USA has taken gold in the six times the event has taken place. Team Japan won last year in Tokyo.
Team USA (117 points)
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Performing to music from the W.E.soundtrack, Ashley Cain and Timothy LeDuc produced a triple twist

The 2019 ISU World Team Trophy continued on Friday with the Pairs’ Short Program, Free Dance, and the Men’s Free Skate in Fukuoka, Japan. Team USA currently leads with 91 points, followed by Team Japan (79) and Team Russia (70).
The ISU World Team Trophy format is based on a competition consisting of the six best national teams from ISU Members with a special provision for the host ISU Member to be included as a Qualified Member. Competing in this sixth edition of the event, are: Can

Nathan Chen of the United States performs his short program at the World Team Trophy figure skating championship in Fukuoka, southwestern Japan, on April 11, 2019. (Photo by Kyodo News via Getty Images)
The 2019 ISU World Team Trophy kicked off a three-day competition with the Rhythm Dance, followed by the Ladies’ and Men’s Short Program in Fukuoka, Japan, on Thursday. Team USA currently leads with 50 points, followed by Team Japan (48) and Team Russia (38).
The ISU World Team Trophy

USA’s Nathan Chen performs his Free Skate at the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships.
USA’s Nathan Chen defended his title in the Men’s event at the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships on in Saitama, Japan on Saturday night. Two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan moved up from fourth place to take the silver—his sixth world medal, while USA’s Vincent Zhou earned the bronze in his second appearance at this event.
Last to skate, Chen had to perform ri

Alina Zagitova of Russia performs her Free Skate at the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships.
Alina Zagitova of Russia pounced on the gold medal in the Ladies’ event at the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships on Friday night in Saitama, Japan with nearly 13 points to spare. Elizabet Tursynbaeva of Kazakhstan took the silver, becoming the first lady from Kazakhstan to win a world medal, while Russia’s Evgenia Medvedeva pocketed a redeeming bronze after what had been a rough sea

Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France perform their Rhythm Dance at the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships.
Olympic silver medalists Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France took the lead after the Rhythm Dance at the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships with a record-breaking score. Russia’s Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov are currently in second, followed by teammates Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin.
It was a stellar competition in which

USA’s Nathan Chen performs his Short Program at the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships.
USA’s Nathan Chen took a comfortable lead in the Men’s event at the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships on Thursday. Teammate Jason Brown is currently in second, followed by Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu.
Chen hung onto the landing of quad Lutz in his troutine to “Caravan” which also featured a triple Axel and quad toe-triple toe. The defending champion

China’s Wenjing Sui and Cong Han perform their Free Skate at the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships.
The Pairs event concluded at the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships with the Free Skate on Thursday. China’s Wenjing Sui and Cong Han moved up from second to win their second gold medal at this event after a record-breaking free skate. Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov of Russia earned their second consecutive silver, while teammates Natalia Zabiiako and A

Russia’s Alina Zagitova performs her Short Program at the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships.
Russia’s Alina Zagitova took a comfortable lead in the Ladies’ event at the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships on Wednesday. Kaori Sakamoto is currently in second, followed closely by Elizabet Tursynbaeva of Kazakhstan.
Zagitova racked up huge grades of execution (GOE) on all elements in her elegant routine to The Phantom of the Opera. The 2018 Olympic champion land

Russia’s Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov perform their Short Program at the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships.
The 2019 World Figure Skating Championships began with the Pairs event in Saitama, Japan, on Wednesday morning. A total of 19 teams skated the Short Program with Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov of Russia taking the lead, followed by China’s Wenjing Sui and Cong Han and Cheng Peng and Yang Jin.
Tarasova and Morozov were immaculate in their performance to Rac

Russia’s Alexandra Trusova performs her free skate at the 2019 World Junior Figure Skating Championships.
The 2019 World Junior Figure Skating Championships concluded with the Ladies event on Saturday in which Russia’s Alexandra Trusova defended her title. Teammate Anna Shcherbakova took the silver in her debut in this event, while USA’s Ting Cui pocketed the bronze, improving from a seventh-place finish last year.
Trusova fell on her opening quad Lutz attempt, but quickly reco

Canada’s Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha perform their Free Dance at the 2019 World Junior Figure Skating Championships.
In their fourth appearance at this event, Canada’s Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha took the Ice Dance title at the 2019 World Junior Figure Skating Championships. Russia’s Elizaveta Khudaiberdieva and Nikita Nazarov won the silver in their debut at this event, while teammates Sofia Shevchenko and Igor Eremenko improved from their

USA’s Tomoki Hiwatashi performs his Free Skate at the at the 2019 Junior World Figure Skating Championships.
USA’s Tomoki Hiwatashi won the gold in the Men’s event at the 2019 Junior World Figure Skating Championships in what was his third appearance. Russia’s Roman Savosin rose from sixth to capture the silver, improving from his fifth-place finish last year, while Daniel Grassl of Italy pocketed the bronze in his debut at this event.
Savosin took first in

Anna Shcherbakova performs her Short Program at the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships.
Anna Shcherbakova of Russia took a narrow lead in the Ladies’ Short Program at the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships on Friday. Training mate Alexandra Trusova is close behind in second, followed by USA’s Ting Cui.
Alena Kostornaia of Russia announced her withdraw due to “medical reasons” on March 4, 2019.
Shcherbakova put out a lyrical routine to “A Comme Am

Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov perform their Free Skate at the 2019 World Junior Figure Skating Championships.
The Russians swept the Pairs’ podium at the 2019 World Junior Figure Skating Championships on Thursday. Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov rose from third to capture the gold, while Apollinariia Panfilova and Dmitry Rylov won the silver in their debut at this event. Overnight leaders and defending silver medalists Polina Kostiukovich and Dmitrii Ia

Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha of Canada perform their Rhythm Dance at the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships.
Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha of Canada took the lead in after the Rhythm Dance at the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships on Thursday. Russian’s Elizaveta Khudaiberdieva and Nikita Nazarov, Sofia Shevchenko and Igor Eremenko, and Arina Ushakova and Maxim Nekrasov are in second through fourth, respectively.
Lajoie and Lagha showed strong edges and flow in

Polina Kostiukovich and Dmitrii Ialin of Russia perform their Short Program at the 2019 World Junior Figure Skating Championships.
The Russians dominated the Pairs’ Short Program at the 2019 World Junior Figure Skating Championships on Wednesday. Polina Kostiukovich and Dmitrii Ialin took a narrow lead over teammates Apollinariia Panfilova and Dmitry Rylov and training mates Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov. All three teams earned a new season’s best score.
Kostiukovich and

USA’s Camden Pulkinen performs his Short Program at the 2019 World Junior Figure Skating Championships.
The 2019 World Junior Figure Skating Championships kicked off with the Men’s Short Program in Zagreb, Croatia, on March 6. USA’s Camden Pulkinen lead the men in what was an exciting event, followed closely by teammate Tomoki Hiwatashi. Daniel Grassl of Italy is in a very close third while Russia’s Petr Gumennik is less than a point behind in fourth.
With many good

A changing of the guard – Mona Adolfsen is handed the gavel by Rune Gerhardsen, the outgoing President of the Norwegian Skating Association.
In the run-up to the biggest figure skating event of the season, the 2019 World Championships, the International Skating Union (ISU) referee, judge and technical controller Mona Adolfsen (President of the Norwegian Skating Association) tells about her motivation to work as an ISU judge as well as the peculiarities of the new ISU judging system.
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2019 World Junior Figure Skating Championships – Preview
A preview of the top contenders in the sport of figure skating for the 2019 World Junior Figure Skating Championships. Stay tuned for coverage!The post 2019 World Junior Figure Skating Championships – Preview appeared first on Golden Skate.

China’s Wenjing Sui and Cong Han won their fifth Four Continents title in Anaheim, Calif.
Wenjing Sui and Cong Han
After reclaiming their title at the 2019 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, China’s Wenjing Sui and Cong Han are now gearing up for the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, Japan. The road back as not been an easy one for the duo who made their first international appearance this season in Anaheim, Calif.
Sui has been plagued with various foot i

Russia’s Alexander Samarin performs his Free Skate at the 2019 European Figure Skating Championships.
Alexander Samarin
Last month, Alexander Samarin headed into the ISU European Figure Skating Championships as the “number three” of the Russian men. The national bronze medalist competed alongside teammates Maxim Kovtun, four-time and current Russian champion, and Mikhail Kolyada, two-time Russian champion and current silver medalist. In a field of what began with 37 men, Samari